Automatic label wrapper

ABSTRACT

DISCLOSED HEREIN IS A LABEL APPLYING THRUST AND A LABEL PRESSING ARRANGEMENT FOR A CONTINUOUSLY MOVING LABELING MACHINE. THE LABEL APPLYING TURRET HAS A NUMBER OF PAIRS OF LABEL CLAMPS EQUALLY SPACED ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF THE TURRET TO GRIP THE ENDS OR WINGS OF LABELS AS THE LABELS ARE FED TO THE LABEL TURRET. THE PRESSING ARRANGEMENT INCLUDES A NUMBER OF PRESSURE ROLLERS TO PRESS THE LABELS AGAINST THE BOTTLES.

June 22. 1971 Filed Aug. 25. 1967 K. DULLINGER AUTOMATIC LABEL WRAPPER mssgw 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR,

KARL DU LLINGER WHEELER WHEELER,

y HOUSE a CLEMENCY Attorneys June 22. 1971 DULUNGER 3,586,580

AUTOMATIC LABEL WRAPPER Filed Aug. 25, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ill 6 63 INVENTOR,

KARL DULLlNGER By WHEELER, WHEELER, HOUSE 8 CLEMENCY Atiorneys June 22. 1971 K. DULLINGER AUTOMATIC LABEL WRAPPER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 25, 1967 INVENTOR KARL DULLINGER By WHEELER, WHEELER,

HOUSE 81 CLEMENCY United States Patent O 3,586,580 AUTOMATIC LABEL WRAPPER Karl Dullinger, Neutraubling, Germany, assignor to Herman Kronseder, Neutraubling, Germany Filed Aug. 25, 1967, Ser. No. 663,289 Int. Cl. B65c 9/04 US. Cl. 156-458 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Disclosed herein is a label applying thrust and a label pressing arrangement for a continuously moving labeling machine. The label applying turret has a number of pairs of label clamps equally spaced about the periphery of the turret to grip the ends or wings of labels as the labels are fed to the label turret. The pressing arrangement includes a number of pressure rollers to press the labels against the bottles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Labels which are to be wrapped 180 or more degrees around a bottle or container, particularly the neck of a bottle, have been generally applied by intermittently moving type machines. The label is brought to a position at the front of the bottle and the wings of the label pushed around the bottle while the bottle is stationary. One of the wings of the label is clamped to the label applying turret and the other end is left free. If the label is to be wrapped around more than half of the bottle, it will have a tendency to tilt while on the turret due to its length and weight resulting in a misalignment of the label When it is applied to the bottle. Brushes or pressure rollers are used to brush the wings of the label around the bottle while the bottle remains in the stationary position. This type of a pressing system requires a complicated linkage in order to achieve a sufiicient pressure for the ends or wings of the label to adhere to the bottle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention utilizes a label applying turret which rotates continuously in synchronism 'with the motion of a turntable on which the bottles are carried through the labeling machine. Pairs of label clamps are mounted on the periphery of the turret to grip both ends or wings of each label and to release the ends of the label as the label is brought into contact with the bottle. The action of each pair of clamps may be simultaneous or sequential, depending on the type of label which is being applied to the bottle. The ends or wings of the label, after being released from the clamps, are blown around the neck of the bottle by a jet of air from air tubes mounted on the turret. The bottles are carried by individual pallets on the turntable which are mounted to rotate on their own axes. The pallets are intermittently rotated in opposite directions about their own axes to individually turn the bottles to different positions as the bottles move through the pressure roller system. This system includes a number of pressing rollers positioned in the path of motion of the bottles to alternately press each wing of the label against the bottle.

' Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a labeling machine partly broken away to show the turntable.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the labeling machine showing the direction of motion of the bottles with part of the head broken away.

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FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the label applying turret.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the label turret with the top plate removed.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the linkage system for the pressure rollers.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the position of the bottles in the labeling machine.

FIG. 7 is a view in section of one of the pallets in the turntable.

Referring more specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a general arrangement for a labeling machine is shown having an infeed conveyor 10 with a screw type bottle separator 12 to space bottles 15 as they are fed to a star wheel 14, a bottle conveyor turntable 16, a second star wheel 18 and an outfeed conveyor 20. A rotary head 22 is mounted to rotate with the turntable and has a number of inverted cups 24 that are cam actuated to engage the top of the bottles as they are fed into the turntable. Labels 26 are fed to the bottles 15 from a magazine 28 to a glue cylinder 30 where they are picked up by label applying turret 32 and applied to the bottle 15. A glue roller 34 is used to apply glue to the glue cylinder as it rotates clockwise past the label magazine. Various types of glue cylinders and label magazines can be used to transfer the labels to the label turret. The drive means for the labeling machine, including the label feed mechanism, is of conventional design and does not form a part of the present invention.

The bottles 15 are moved by the infeed conveyor and spaced by the bottle separator 12 as they are fed to the star wheel. The star wheel moves the bottles onto individual pallets 36 recessed into corresponding sockets in the turntable 16 as shown in FIG. 7 cups 24 are dropped down on the top of the bottle to hold the bottle in position on the pallets. Eight pallets 36 are shown in the drawings, however, any number can be mounted on the turntable depending on its size. The pallets are secured to the upper ends of shafts 38 which are journalled in bearings 40 in the turntable. The pallets are rotated to various positions as the turntable rotates by a cam roller 42 secured to the end of arm 44 on the end of shaft 38. The cam roller 42 is aligned in a groove 54 provided in stationary cam plate 56 located below the turntable. The groove 54 acts as a cam track and as the turntable rotates the cam roller will move through the track alternately rotating the pallet which supports the bottle. The movements of the bottle will be more fully described in connection with the passage of the bottle through the pressing arrangement.

The bottles, after being positioned on the pallets, initially move past label applying turret 32. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the label applier 0r turret shown has two spaced support discs or plates 61 and 63 mounted to rotate on a fixed support such as post 65. Three label holding sections 58 are provided on the periphery of the turret with each label holding section including a flexible cushion and two anvils 62. Bell cranks 64 are pivotally mounted on pins 66 with the outer ends of the bell cranks to engage anvils 62. Coil springs (not shown) are used to bias the bell cranks so that the clamp bars are 76, 78 are pressed tightly against the anvils. Cam follows 68 and 70 are rotatably mounted on pins 72 on the other end of the bell cranks and are positioned to roll on the surface of adjustable cams 73 and 74, respectively, which are mounted on post 65. The support discs or plates are rotated in synchronism with the turntable 16 and as they rotate the cam rollers will roll around the periphery of cams 73 and 74 to move clamp bars 76 and 78 away from anvils 62. The cams 73 and 74 can be adjusted by rotating them on post to open the clamps either simultaneously or sequentially, depending on the type of label being applied to the bottle. In FIG. 4, the clamps will be opened as the cam rollers roll up surfaces 73a and 74a and close from the rollers roll down surfaces 73b and 74b.

Two air discharge jets or tubes 80 are secured to plate 61 with one tube extending outward on each side of the cushion 60. Air is supplied to the tubes 80 through an air tube 82 which has an outlet orifice 86 that is biased by spring 84 to ride on the surface of plate 61 in groove 85-. The inlet openings 87 to tubes 80 are located in groove 85 at a point where air will be supplied to the air discharge tubes 80 as the clamp bars 76, 78 open to release the wings or ends of the label. As the openings 87 move past outlet orifice 86, a jet of air will be directed at the wings y and z of the label.

The label turrett 32 rotates in synchronism with the turntable 16 so that a flexible cushion 60 will be in a position to engage each bottle 15 that passes the label turret. A label will be picked up by the label clamps on the turret each time one of the sections 58 pass the glue cylinder. The center of the label will be aligned with the cushion 60 and the ends or wings y and z clamped against the anvil-62 by clamp bars 76 and 78. The pressure of the cushion against the bottle will be sufficient to cause the center of the label to adhere to the bottle as the ends or wings are released. A jet of air from tubes 80 is initially used to blow the wings of the label along the sides of the bottle. The timing of the discharge of air from tubes 80 can be made to correspond to the opening and closing of the label clamps by locating opening 85 closer or farther away from each other.

Once the label has been released from the label cylinder, the bottle continues to move through the labeling machine where the pressing rollers will press the label tight- 1y against the bottle. Referring to FIGS. and 6, it will be noted that the center x of the label in position A is pointed radially outwardly. This is the position where the label is released from the label cylinder. The bottle w11l remain in this position as it is moved by the turntable -16 past the flexible pad 88. This pad will wipe across the lead wing pressing the wing y lightly against the bottle. The pallet 36 on which the bottle is carried is then rotated 90 degrees (clockwise in FIG. 5) by the cam action of groove 54 acting on cam roller 42. The center x of the label will be turned in the direction of rotation of the turntable as seen at position B. The neck of the bottle passes through a pair of brushes 90 which press both wings y and z against the sides of the bottle. The bottle is again turned back (center clockwise in FIG. 5) to its original position by the counterrotation of the palle t 36 with center x again turned radially outward as at position C and the bottle is advanced past a flexible pressure roller 92 that rolls across wing y at the back of the bottle pressing the wing y firmly against the bottle. Brush 94 is posttioned opposite the pressure roller 92 to wipe across the center of the label on the opposite side of the bottle. The bottle is finally again turned 90 degrees (clockwise in FIG. 5) with the center of the label x positioned forward as seen at positions D and E. Trailing wing a is pressed against the back of the bottle to an overlapping relation with wing y by a pair of pressure rollers 96 and 98. Thls intermittent or alternate rotation of the pallet 36 Wlll turn the neck of the bottle so that the wings of the label are wiped against the brushes 90, 94 and pressure rollers 92, 9 6 and 98. The number of forward and backward or alternate rotations of the pallet 36 will depend to some extent on whether brushes or sponge rollers or both are used to wipe the label against the surface of the bottles. One such pressing system is described below.

Referring to FIG. 6 pressure rollers 96 and 98 are shown mounted on a linkage system that is designed to move these pressure rollers out of the path of motion of the bottles as the bottles move past the rollers and to cause the rollers to roll around the back of the bottle as they move to positions D and E. Roller 96 is secured to lever arm 100 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 102.

Pressure roller 98 is secured to lever arm 104 which is pivotally mounted on pin 106. Lever arms and 104 are rigidly secured to connecting links 108 which are pivotally connected to link 110 so that the two lever arms 100 and 104 move in unison. A spring 112 is connected to one end of link 110 to bias the pressure rollers toward the bottles. The pressure rollers are moved away from the bottles by a cam arm 114 which is pivotally mounted on pin .106. Link 118 is pivotally connected to the cam arm and to link 120 which is rigidly secured to lever arm 100. Cam surface 122 on cam arm 114 is located in the path of travel of the bottles and as a bottle engages cam surface 122 the cam arm will be rotated counterclockwise about pin 106. The rotation of the cam arm will force the pressure rollers away from the path of travel of the bottles. In FIG. 6 it will be noted that as the lead bottle moves past cam surface 122 spring 112 will force the rollers to roll around the back of the bottles and across the overlapped wings y and z of the label. This is important in order to assure that the label is firmly secured to the bottle. As the bottle leaves the cam surface, it moves to the outfeed star wheel which carries it to the outfeed conveyor where it is rolled past rollers This type of pressing arrangement is particularly im portant for use with a label applying turret as described above. The labels which are carried by the turret will be wrapped around more than one half the circumference of the bottle. The wings or ends must be contacted by a pressure roller over their entire surface and the pressing arrangement described herein will accomplish this result while the bottles are being carried continuously by the turntable.

Although only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it should be apparent that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A labeling machine for applying labels around the outside of a bottle, said machine comprising a bottle conveyor having a rotatable pallet on which a bottle is mounted on the conveyor, a label applier adjacent the conveyor to adhere the middle part of a label to a bottle on the conveyor,

pressing apparatus in the path of conveyor movement for wiping onto the bottle label wings which extend from said middle part, and

rotating means for rotating said pallet and the bottle thereon in opposite directions as the bottle moves past said pressing apparatus to wrap said label wings around the bottle.

2. The machine of claim 1 in which said bottle conveyor comprises a turntable, said rotating means comprislng a fixed cam track adjacent the turntable, said pallet having a cam follower positioned to engage said cam track.

3. The machine of claim 1 in Which the label applier comprises a rotary turret mounted adjacent the bottle conveyor, said turret having a peripherally exposed pad, label clamps at both sides of the pad to releasably retain a label on the pad and means for actuating said clamps lijn the course of transferring the label from the pad to the ott e.

4. The machine of claim 1 in which the means for actuating said clamps comprises a fixed cam, said label clamps having cam followers engaging said cam.

5. In a labeling machine for transferring labels from a label magazine to containers, said machine having a container conveyor, rotatable container supports on the conveyor, a rotary label applying turret adjacent the conveyor, said turret having a peripherally exposed pad and label clamps at both sides of the pad to releasably retain a label on the pad, means to rotate the turret in synchronism with the movement of the container conveyor to apply a middle part of the label to a container on the conveyor, means to actuate said clamps to thereafter release the label, label pressing apparatus adjacent the path of containers carried by the conveyor, means for oscillating said container supports first in one direction of rotation and then in the opposite direction of rotation to press wing portions of the label against the container as the containers move on said path.

6. The machine of claim 5 in which the rotary container supports comprise pallets and clamping caps between which the container is clamped, the means for oscillating said container supports comprising a grooved cam plate, said pallets having cam followers engaged in said groove.

7. The machine of claim 5 in which said label applying turret is further provided with two air jets, one for each label clamp and means for blowing air through said jets when the clamps release the label, thus to blow the label wings toward the container.

8. The machine of claim 5 in which the means to actuate said label clamps comprises bell cranks on corresponding ends of which the clamps are mounted, cam followers on the other corresponding ends of the bell cranks and cams against which said cam followers ride,

6 said cams being adjustable about the axis of turret rotation whereby the selectively adjust the clamps for simultaneous or sequential action.

9. The machine of claim 5 in which said pad is of flexible resilient material which exerts pressure on the label aginst the container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 20 SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 156481, 568 Y UNITED STA'IES PATEN'I OFFICE CERTIFICATE CF CORRECTION Patent No. 5,586,580 Dated June 22, 1971 Inventor(s) Karl Dullinger It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the first sentence of the Abstract of Disclosure, "thrust" should read --turret Column 2, Line 60, "are" between the words bar and 76 is not necessary Column 2, Line 61, "Cam follows" should read --Cam follower rollers Column 5, Line #8, "center clockwise" should read --counter clockwise------------- Column 6, Line 2, "the should read -to Colurnn 6, Line 6, "aginst" should read --against----- Signed and sealed this 15th day of February 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD I LFLETCHER, JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PC4050 USCOMM-DC 60376-F'69 fi U S. GOVEHNMENT PRINTING OFFICE I969 0*365334 

